Stacking machine



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J. P. ALDRICH ET AL STACKING MACHINE W u W om i a WFMM 8 IA e d A .v e nw e 0 w fl 5 1 Filed Jan. 9 1925 35 1 ym/ y Patented Feb. 16, 1926. 1

UNITED STATES 1,573,024. PATENT OFF-ICE.

JOHN I. ALDRICH AND HOWARD A. MORRIS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOBSTO THE I AUTOMAT MOLDING & FOLDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF IOLEDO, OHIO, A GOR- IOBA'IION OF OHIO.

STAGKING MACHINE.

Application filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN P. ALDRIGH and HOWARD A. MORRIS, citizens of the United States. and residentsof Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Stacking Machine, whi'ch invention-is fully set forth in the following specification.

This inventionrelates to machines for wrapping articles, and particularly to mach nes for individually wrapping one-quarter pound units of butter, oleomargarine and the like and packaging a number of such units in a single carbon.

Objects of the invention are to provide a machine of the above type for wrapping an article, such as a one-quarter pound unit or bar of butter, which eliminates liability being wrapper; to provide in a machine of this type novel means for stacking a predetermined number of articles to form a pile having substantially symmetrical sides; to provide novel means for packaging a stack of individual -articles; to provide a new and improved -machine which is adapted successively to wrap bars of butter and the l'ke, to form a stack containing a predetermined number of such wrapped bars, and to enclose the stack in a carton so that as delivered from the machine a unitary package is produced containing a predetermined number of wrapped bars; and, in general, to provide a package wrapping machine having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described.

' tion of the receiver.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in Which,- p

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a package wrapping machine. Flg. 2 is atop plan view of the primary feeder. Fig. 3 is a. side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. F g. .4 is an enlarged detail sec- Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the primary feeder showing the mechanism for operating the same. Fig. 6

is a side elevat'on of'the plunger or ram.

Fig. 7 is'a side elevation of a portion of the rain showing one step in the wrapping of a butter bar. Fig. 8 .is a top plan view of another portion of .the mechanism for wrapping each bar. Fig. 9. is a sideelevation of of distorting the shape of such unit while mine a, 1925. Serial m. 1,352.

a portion of the mecha nism shown in Fig.

the kicker paddle. Fig. 14 1s a side view showing the finger for folding the upper flap of a wrapping sheet. Fig.15 is a top plan view of the stacking housing. Fig. 16

is a side elevation of the housing shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a section on the line 17-17 of Fig. 16. Fig. 18 is a sidee1eva-- tion of a portion of the machine in advance of the wrapper feeding mechanism. Fig. 19 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 18. Fig. 20 is an enlarged detail 'of one of the folding fingers. Fig. 21 is an end elevation of the machine viewed from the left of Fig. 18. Fig. 22 is a vertical sectional elevation taken on the lines 22-22 of Figs. 18 and 19. Fig. 23 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing successive operations performed by the machine. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevationshowing the osition of part of the mechanism immediately prior to the stackin operation.

Fig. 25 is a diagrammatic si e elevation ation of the mechanism. Fig. 28-isa trans verse section on the lines 2828 of. Figs.

18and 19. Fig. 29- is a view similar to Fig.

28 showing the operation'of the mechanism,

and Fig. 30is a plan view of a blank from which a carton is formed.

The embodiment of the invention, shown for purposes of illustration, comprises a package wrapping machine which is particularly adapted to wrap individual units of butter, oleomargarine and the like, the units being in the form of elongate rectangular bars of one-quarter {pound size, andafter wrap ingeach unit to stack a predeternumber of units to form a symmetrical pile which is thereafter packaged in a carton. In general, the machine consists of feeding mechanism A, which is adapted to feed individualbutter bars or-units'X to a receiver which is automatically moved to a position where aplunger mechanism B it and moves it along a guide. During the movement of the plunger B, relatively thin and flexible sheet material is fed in the path of movement, and b a suitable mechanism hereinafter describe the units are individually wrapped; After the kicker C has advanced a predetermined number, four in this instance, along the guide, stacking mechanism '1) is operable to stack these units to form a substantially symmetrical pile and advance the pile a predetermined dis tance. Associated with the stackin mechanism I) and connected conjointly tolie operated therewith is advancing mechanism E which progressively ,advances the piles along the guide, and while thus being advanced each pile or stack ispackaged in an individual" carton, the ends of which are folded in so that liability of the contents 13, Mounted on the receiver 14 is, a stop being displaced is eliminated. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the primary feeder or conveyor Afor individually feeding't-he bars X to the re-' ceiver is similar in construction and operation to that shown anddescribed in our copending application Serial No. 676,231 filed November 22,1923, for package wrap ping machine, and a general description thereof is deemed sufiicient here. As most clearly indicated inFigs. 2 and 3, the butarranged in the slot 2 is a feed bar '3 which is contem raneously moved vertically and horizonta yrelatively to table 1.

An adjustable guide 4, parallel with slot 2, extends substantially the entire length of the'table. The butter bars are placed in sucpession on the receiving end of the table across slot 2 and abutting guide 4, so that they are in substantial alignment. By imparting the above-described movement to the feed bar 3, thebutter bars are moved progressively along the table until the fore-. most bar. engages a stop 5 mounted at one end thereof, which stop serves to arrest the movement of this bar in properly aligned position with the receiver above mentiondv At the delivery end of table 1 an adjustable guide 4 is provided on the opposite side of slot 2 from guide 4. Guide 4 is substantial- 1y (parallel with guide 4, but has a beveled en 4", and insures the delivery of the butter bars in proper positions For concomitantly imparting limited horizontal and vertical movements to the feed bar 3-, a guide 6 is .securedto the under surface of the feed bar intermediate its'cnds, and a roller on one end of a rocker arm 7 extends'into a vertical slot in the guide 6, the arm being oscillatab'le about a fixed pivot and a rod 9 connects the rocker arm 7 with a cam 9 fast on the shaft 9, the arm 7 thus horizontally reciprocating the feed bar 3. For moving the feed bar 3 slightly above the plane of the-table lwhile the latter'is being moved horizontally, blocks 10 are socured to the undersurface ofthe feed bar and are' 'intermittently engaged by. rollers 11 carried by rocker arnis 12 which are suit.- ably connected to a cam 12* on the shaft 9.

'lhe butter bars X, which are progressively advancedover the table 1, are successively lowered therefrom to a supporting guide or track 13, which extends forward from table 1 substantially the entire length of thej'machine, except at the points wherethe wrapper sheets; W and cartons Y are fed into wrapping pos1tion,-as hereinafter described.

For this purpose a receiver 14. is moved ver-l t1cally into alignment with the table 1 to receive an individual butter bar'and is thereafter lowered into alignment with the guide ;the receiver 14, a slide 16 is movable vertically In a guideway 17, and, a rocker arm 18 is connected-by arod 19 to a cam 19 on theshaft 9 in such a manner that rotationuof the shaft 9 lowers and raises the receiver 14.

' Operating in timed relation to the receiver 14 is a plunger 16 having a head 16,

referably of maple, which engages each utter bar X and shoves it from the receiver a predetermined. distance alongthe guide 13. For reciprocating the plunger 16 a 1111k .18? is pivoted to an ear 19 fast to the plunger rod and a lever 20 pivoted to the opposite end of the link 18" pivotally en gagesa rod 21 fast to' the lower part of the machine frame. Pivoted to an ear on thelever 20 adjacent the rod'21 is a rod 22which engages at its opposite end an'eccentric 23 fast on the"rotatableshaft 9. 'Thus, by

guiding the plunger rod 16 in suitable bearings 24 secured to cross member 24 beneath table 1, rotation of the shaft 9 reciprocates the plunger head 16 over'receiver 14 and the end ofguide 13.

In the path of 4 the movement of plunger head 16 andbutter bar.X, wrapping sheets'W of suitable size are fed one at a time by a suitable mechanism 25 (Fig. 1), which may be driven by a chain 26* engaging a sprocket wheel fixed .toa shaft 26 which extends transverselyof the machine frame. The mechanism 25 may be similar to that shown and describedin-our abovementioned co-pending. application, and is operable to cutsheets of apredetermined size from a roll .of thematerial, the material being-preferably relatively thin and flexible, such as tissue p'aper, and drop them the in the path of the advancing butter bars. As indicated in Fig. 9, a single sheet V is fed from the feeding mech'anisin25 into the path of movement of the butter bar X and is held in a substantially vertical position by movable guide fingers 27 and stationary guides 28', portions of the sheet extending above and below the guide 13 and the lower edge resting against a. stop 28 in the form of a substantially L-shaped legver providing a handle 29 Normally, the

stop 28 is yieldingly. held by a suitable spring 29 in the position shown in Fig. 9.

When, however, for some reason itis desired to remove a' sheet V from the machine, the handle 29 may be rotated ina clockwise direction so that a sheet W will drop from the ma ch ine. As each butter bar X is progressively advanced along the guide 13, it engages a sheet W, "midway between the top and bottom edges thereof, and carries the sheet with it in its further advance, the sheet being folded.

over the bottom and top of the butter bar by the guide 13 and the top guide plates 30."

In the further advance-of the butter bar X and sheet W, the sides of the sheet engage yielding pressure feet 31, which fold them rearw-ardly, as indicated in Fig. 10, against the ends of the butter bar. The portions of the sheet projecting above the presser feet 31 are engaged by curved guides :32 which fold them down against the portions folded,

- by feet 31, while curved guides 33 engage the portions of the sheet projecting .-belo w the feet 31 and fold them up against the portions foldedby guides 32. .The guides 32'are formed on the top guide plates 30 by bending the material in the desired manner, while the guides 33 are formed on the main guide 13 which extends horizontallyof themachine. As indicatedin Fig. 8, the top guide 30 is formed in two plates, each plate having ears 34 through'which a rod 35 extends. Ears 36 are" also fixedto the forward portion of the plates 30to receive arod 37, and springs 38 surround the rod 37 between the ears 36 and collars 39 fixed to-the rod 37 so that as a butter bar X is progressively advanced along the main guide track 13 the plates 30 are enabled to yield laterally, during the folding ope'ra-' tion of the wrapper W, and. so operate cor-- butter bars of slightly different rectlywith lengths.

The butter bar Xiand wrapper .W are ad- "vanced along the guide .13 a slight distance beyond the folding guides 32 and 33 by the plunger 16 to point F where. oppositely positioned foldingplungers 40 are reciprocated to fold a portion of the wrapper sheet. W

inwardly against the sides of the butter bar (Fig. 12

For conjointly operating the folding plungers 40 bell cranks 41 are pivoted to the outer ends of the plu'ngers 40 shown in Fig. 23.

and to supports '42, which depend from the";

frame of the machine, the opposite ends .of the bell cranks being pivoted to a rod 43,

which has a forked end 44 straddling. the

transversely extending rotatable shaft. 26; Fixed to the'shaft 26 is a cam 45 which coacts with a roller 46 carried by the rod 43, the roller'being heldin" operative relation tothe cam by a coiled spring 47, which is connectedto the rod 43' at one end and to a stationary rod 48 at the opposite end.

Furtheradvancement of the wrapped but-f v terbars X is accomplished by means ofa kicker or paddle 49 which engages each but ter bar X after the folding plungers 40'have been retracted; Kicker49 and plunger 16 are operated'in such timed relation that kicker-49 is in the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Fig.- 6 when plunger 16 1s in its full-line pos tion, as shown in of wrapper W. The butter bars are thus advanced along the supporting guide or track 13 through a houslng having a springmpressed top plate 49' and spring-pressed side plate 49, thereby holding the bars in proper position during -advancement. to position 'F.

For actuating "the kicker 49 to describe the path of movement above-mentioned, a rod 50 is pivoted to thebottom of the kicker andextendsthrough a guide .51, a'roller 152 being carried on the lower end of the rod 50 and engaging a cam 53 fixed to the shaft 26. Formed on the lower end of the guide 51 is a strap 54, in which is disposed an eccentric 55 which is secured to the shaft '26, the strap 54 being pivoted to the rod 48' at its low-er end. For holding the roller 52 inoperative relation tothe cam'53 coil 61 secured to the rod 50," the rod 61 being movable in a slot in the guide'5l, and at the opposite end to'a rod 62 which is secured to the strap 54. Also pivotedto the kicker 49, but at a oint in 'rear of the rod 50. is. a rod 56 having a forked end 57 straddling the shaft 26 andcarrying a roller 58 engaging a cam 59 rotatable with the shaft 26.

After the kicker 49 has advanced a butter bar along the guide 13 to position F, a plate 63 'having fingers is moved to engage the projecting top rear flap of the wrapper.- .W and fold it downward against the side of'th'e butter bar, thus completing the wrapping of each individual bar (Fig. 14). For

actuating the plate 63 a rod 64 is pivoted springs 6.0 are connected at one end to a rod at one end to the upper portion of the plate and at the other end is secure-d to a shaft 65 which is supported in a bracket 66 mounted on the machine frame, the rod 64 being pivoted to the plate abovethe rod 64 and to a lug 64 fixed to. the bracket 66. Also secured to the shaft 65 is an arm 67 to which a depending rod 68 is pivoted, the rod 68 being reciprocated by a suitable cam, which is secured to a shaft 26 extending transver'sely of the machine frame.

As indicated in Fig. 24, the kicker 49 successively feeds four wrapped butter bars X to the stacking libusing' 91, the finger 63 being actuated to fold the remaining unfolded fiap against the side of each bar, and as the bars are advanced the closed side of the next succeeding bar abutting against the folds of .the advanced bar prevents unfolding of the wrapper. Thereafter a part of the stacking and advancing mechanism E engages the last two bars of the row of the four and superposes'them upon the advanced two, thereby forming a substantially symmetrical pile or stack containing four quartn-pound wrapped butter bars, and then advances the stack a predetermined distance.

The stacker comprises a paddle 7O having a shelf 71, the paddle being secured to a feed frame 72 which is moved to.

describe a path indicated by the dotted lines ate the left of Fig. 24. Starting with paddle 70 in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 24, it is first raised to the position shown in Fig. 25, so that shelf 71 raises the rear two butter bars, then it is moved horizontally forward to the position in which it is shown in Fig, 23, after which it is moved horizontally rearward until shelf 71 is withdrawn from between the butter bars, then slantingly downextending rod 78 which is pivoted at -its' opposite end to a bell crank 79 having a fixed'pivot 80. To the opposite end-of the bell crank 7 9'is pivoted a. rod 81 which has a strap 82 at its opposite end, through .Which strap extends a transverse shaft 83.

Carried by the rod 81 is a roller 84 c0- acting with a cam 85 which is secured to the shaft 83 so that rotation of the cam 85 lowers and raises the feed frame 72 as indicated. For contemporaneously moving the feed frame horizontally, a rod 86 is pivoted V shelf.

the path described above in connection with paddle 70. The feed frame is connected by means described below, to be driven at onefourththe speed of the plunger 16 and kicker 49 so that four butter bars are advanced along the guide track 13 before the paddle 7 0 commences the stacking operation.

To prevent displacement of the bars from the shelf 71 during the stacking operation spring-pressed plates 92 yieldingly engage the upper surface of the butter bars on the After passing the springressed plates 92, the butter bars are advance under a spring-pressed top plate 93, which holds the barson the shelf when moving through the housing. .For insuring the proper position of the rear butter bar ofthe advanced pair during stacking, lips 94 are secured to the side of the stacking housing 91 and project over the top of this bar so that liability of displacement of this bar when the rear pair are being carried to' stacking position is prevented. After stacking the bars as above described, the paddle 70 advances the stack to the forward end of the stacking housing past the spring plates 94 which snap inwardly when .the stack passes thereover so that retrograde movement of the stack is prevented when the stacking paddle is retracted. To prevent tilting of the stack while in this latter position, a spring 95,

engages the top of the stack.

The operation of the paddle 70 is most clearly indicated in Figs. 23, 24 and 25. Fig. 24 shows the'paddle beneath the position F about to be elevated to engagethe two rear butter bars, the kicker 49 having advanced four-butter bars to form a continuous row in stacking position. After.

elevating the two rear bars, as shown in Fig.

25, the shelf 71 moves over the two forward which drives the. primary feeding mechanism A and plunger 16'- (Fig. 1). Thacarton feeding mechanism 96 is of any wellknown form and adapted to intermittently feed cartons Y-down, between stationary fingers 100 and 101 into the path of the advancing stack (Fig.23).

The cartons Y are of the usual form, being rovided with a central panel a, a top panel g having an edge flap c at its outer edge,

' and a bottom panel d vwitha side panel 6 attached to its outer edge. The side panel a hasthe opposite end flaps f and g, the panel d has an outer end closing fla h at its right end, and the panel I) has a c osing flap j at its left end. The flap c has a tab is at its right end, and the central panel a has the side flaps l and m. Each closing fiap h and j is provided at its outer end with, an inserting lip 7t and '9", respectively. 7

he remaining operation of the machine consists in progressively advancin each stack, and, while advancing, packaging the stack in a carton so that as delivered from the machine the four butter bars are not only individually wrapped with relatively thin and flexible sheet material but are also neatly packed in a cartonof heavier material which insures against damage to the bars and prevents' access of dirt and other extraneous matter. For rogre'ssively advancing a stack along the gui e 13, paddles 102, 103, 104, and 105 are fixed in proper spaced relationship to the feed frame 72'to Which the starking paddle 70 issecured, each paddle engaging I the stack at a predetermined point of travel and moving the stackthrough the carton foldin mechanism hereinafter described.

In tie next advancingmovement of the feed frame 72, after the wrapped butter bars have been stacked and moved to a position in rear of the carton feeding mechanism, the paddle 102 advances the stack over the guide track 13, engaging acarton positioned in its path of movement and thereafter advancing the carton and stack to the position H (Fig. 23). During this movement the top and bottom of the carton are folded over the stack by the engagement of a portion of the carton with the guide 13 at the lower side arid with stationary guide 106 on the upper. side, the upper'side of the carton being held down during its movement in advance of guide 106 by horizontally disposed folding wings 106 at the to After the stack and carton have been a vanced slightly beyond the folding wings 106, paddle 102 is moved horizontally rearward until it is back of flap e, while paddle is moved to withdraw shelf71 from between the butter bars of the succeeding stack. As soon as paddle 102 is out of the way,.wings 106 are swung downwardly to fold the flap 0 against the rear side of the stack. For holding the stack in position while the folding wings 106 are operated, holding wings or gates'107 engage the front of the stack, the top panel I) of the V carton being engaged by a spring-pressed plate 108 supported by a bracket 109.

The folding wings 106 are fast to a rod w-1ll thus be apparent that rotation of the cam 114 actuates the folding wings 106 to fold the flap 0, these wings being operated in proper timed relation with the advance of each stack. The holding wings 107 are similarly connected to be operated from the shaft 69, these wings being fast to a rod 115 to which is operatively connected a de ending rod 116 having a strap 117 surroun ing the shaft 69 and carrying a roller 118 coacting with a'cam 119. v

For holding the flap c in folded position against the side of the stack after wings 106 are swung upuntil flap e is raised enough to hold it, a finger 127, pivoted intermediate its ends to the-bracket 109, is adapted to be ends of the stack. For folding the end flaps v f, g and k inwardly diverging tracks or cams 119 are secured to the machine frame on opposite sides of the guide track '13, and rollers 120 are ada ted to roll along the cams 119, the rollers aving arms 121 integral with sleeves 122, and the opposite ends of the arms 121 extend to the opposite side of the sleeve and are urged toward each other by a coiled spring 123 connected thereto. The sleeves 122 are rotatable on upright rods 124 secured together by a rod 125, which is fixed to the paddle 103'. Integral with the sleeves 12 are folding fingers 126, so that by this arrangement during the advancing movement of the paddle 103, the rollers 120 are forced inwardly by the cams 119 and rotate the sleeves 122 to move the fingers 126 inwardly, thereby engaging the side flaps f, g

and k and folding them inwardly overthe ends of the stack. During this advance of the stack and carton, the front end fla s l ing or forming mechanism (Figs. 26 and l 

